This invention relates generally to a coactive bacteria killing composition and to a process of forming a regenerative coactive bacteria killing composition and, more specifically, to a process of forming a water treatment composition by adhesively securing a bacteria adhering metal to a bacteria adhering carrier in manner to enable both the bacteria adhering metal and the bacteria adhering carrier to remain in a bacteria reactive destroying state.
In water treatment systems it is believed that a bacteria killing materials such as silver ions are effective in killing bacteria because the bacterial cell walls contain various chemical groups that have an affinity for silver. It is believed that when the bacteria cell wall comes in contact with the silver ion, the bacteria cell is strongly bound to the surface of the silver by the various chemical groups in the bacteria cell. The process alone helps prevent the bacteria from multiplying. However, in the presence of dissolved oxygen or very low levels of chlorine a further action can occur in which the various chemical groups in the bacteria cell react chemically with the silver ion and kill the bacteria by damaging or destroying the cell walls of the bacteria. Thus silver ions provide an ideal insitu bacterial killing material, however, without removal of the dead bacteria the surfaces of the silver becomes contaminated with dead bacteria and the reaction stops.
Another bacteria killing material is zinc, zinc is believed to react in a similar manner as the silver; however, it is believed that when zinc is present with the silver the zinc is also effective in keeping the surface of the silver clean so that the silver can continue to react or bind with the bacteria in the water. It is believed that the bacteria on the silver also combines with the zinc ions. The zinc reacts to and removes the bacteria which is attached to the silver and thus cleans or regenerates the silver surface. That is, the zinc ions, which react with the chemicals in the bacteria affix themselves to the dead bacteria and are carried away by the flow of water where the zinc and dead bacteria can be trapped in a filter. Thus the combination of two metals that have bacteria killing characteristics and particularly one of them that provides insitu killing the bacteria and the other that combines with the dead bacteria on the first bacteria killing material to carry away with the dead bacteria produces an enhanced or regenerative bacteria killing composition.
Although two bacteria killing materials, and particularly two bacteria killing metals such as zinc and silver work well together, silver does not have a natural affinity for zinc. Therefor one must be able to maintain the silver proximate the zinc so both the zinc and silver can be maintained in a state where they are free to react with the chemicals in the bacteria. The present invention provides a process for forming such a supported relationship between the two materials. The process includes applying a silver coating, which is silver chloride, on zinc surface that enables both the zinc and the silver chloride to remain in a reactive state.
It has been found that by use of an adhesive that is securable to both the zinc and the silver one can hold the zinc and silver proximate one another. By forming the adhesive in a matrix one can maintain both the silver and the zinc in a reactive state and still provide access to the silver and the zinc so that the bacteria containing water can come into contact with the silver that is dispersed in the matrix. That is, the adhesive, which remains unreactive to the bacteria chemicals, secures the silver therein. By adhesively affixing the silver proximate to the zinc and within an adhesive matrix one provides multiple surfaces areas so the bacteria cells in the water can come into contact with both the silver ions and the zinc ions.
Briefly, the present invention comprises a process of adhesively coating a first bacteria killing material such as zinc with a second bacteria killing material such as silver to maintain both the silver and the zinc in a bacteria reactive state by forming an adhesive matrix that is securable to both the zinc and the silver with the matrix providing paths for bacteria laden water to come into contact with both the silver and the zinc to enable the zinc and silver to coactively kill the bacteria in the bacteria laden water and to enable the zinc to remove dead bacteria from the surface of the silver.